Method of manufacturing perforated metallic tape from wire



July 13, 1954 H. G. SPI-:CHT 2,633,472

METHOD oF MANUFACTURING PERFORATED METALLIC TAFE FROM WIRE original Filed Apil 9, 1949 muuu mummy MMMM LII Il 111,1 llll 1| |11 k ,l /Z

ZZ ,9 Iig@ Snventor HARRY E. EFEEHT Bg/ 2M yf/W Gttorneg Patented July 13, 1954 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PERFO- RATED METALLIC TAPE FROM VIRE Harry G. Specht, Montclair, N. J.

Original application April 9, 1949, Serial No.

3 Claims.

The present invention is a division of my applicationY Serial No. 86,508, filed April 9, 1949, now abandoned, and relates to a wire mesh tape for forming filter screens and the like, and method of manufacturing the same, and has for an object to provide a wire mesh tape formed of a plurality of wires arranged in side-by-side parallel relation to each other and firmly adhered to each other at their points of contact with each other, drainage openings being provided by laterally disposed indentations and projections upon all or certain of such wires so that the projections between such indentures contact and are adhered to the surfaces of the adjacent wires. The wire mesh tape, according to the invention, permits the use of relatively ne wire, having indentures of the order of .001" to .020 for example, the assembled plurality of making up a tape of such width that it may be eectually wound about a cylinder frame to provide a cylinder type of lter, or otherwise conveniently handled to produce other types of filters. vSuch filters would be irnpossible to produce in a practical manner from the single strand of such wire, because of the tendency of such wireV to twist and overlap each other thus displacing the indentations and projections from their intended positions in the iilter.

Attempts have been made heretofore to produce a filter structure by winding a single strand of corrugatedor indented wire upon a cylinder frame construction in substitution of the woven wire mesh usually employed for this purpose, but these have failed because of the great difficulty in handling the wire. made to produce a tape or ribbon of wire by arranging'single strandsin parallel spaced relation and connecting them 'together by longitudinally spaced transverse strips of welding or solder.

These have been obj ectionable because the spaces through a rolling operation to thereupon bring the formed wires into their desired side-by-sde relation in the tape, and then to adhere them together while held in such relation, by solder, bracing, welding or other suitable adhering operation, Athese steps being carried out successively in a continuous operation.

With the above and other objects in view, em- 5 Attempts have also been Divided and this application May 4, 1950, Serial No. 159,918

bodiments of the invention are shown in the'accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be iinally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a short length of a, wire mesh tape according to one illustrated embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modiiied form of the tape of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the apparatus for carrying out the invention, and in particular the method of producing the form of tape illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing forming rolls for producing the type of wire employed in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4.

' Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures` of the drawings.

1 Referring to the drawings the wire mesh tape, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, comprises a plurality of wires I0 provided along each of two opposed-sides with a series of lateral projections Il equally spaced longitudinally and having indentations l2 between them, the wires lll being alternately arranged with hat wires i3 between them. The projections may be laterally aligned transversely, as shown, or they may be staggered or otherwise suitably arranged. One wire I3 is provided at one edge of the tape and one wire IJ is provided at'the other edge, so that when windings of the tape are placed about a cylinder, for instance, lthe straight surface at one edge of one winding will be engaged by the projections ll at the'other edge of the adjacent winding to thus produce a uniformly perforated surface.

The thickness of the wires I3 is preferably approximatelyequal to the thickness ofthe portions of the wire I!! between the indentations l2, so that the perforations are uniformly spaced transversely `of the tape, although the wires i3 may, if desired, be of either greater or less thickness. -Also the projections and the indentations oi' the wire It are preferably, but not necessarily, transversely aligned so that there is a uniform distribution of the perforations.

All the points of contact of the wires l 0 and I3 withV each other are adhered together and to will cause them to adhere on the applicationof.

a given degree of heat. Such coating may consist of tinning, soldering, copperplating, silver.u plating or any other known coatings. that will serve to cause adherence through. thev application of heat. In the case of the itthe coating is of such ductility that it may. be. applied: to

the wire prior to having thev indentures formed.

therein, the forming process by rolling.v being such that the ductile coating remains in place upon the formed wire.

In Fig. a there is shown a modified form of tape in which all of the wires making up the tape are of similar form, these wires i4 having straight surfaces at one side and having projections l5 and indentures It at the other side, the projections of one wire engaging the straight surface of the adjacent wire. In the assembled tape one edge is straight and the other edge is provided with projections in a similar manner to theY tape as shownin Fig. 1. The wires il! are adhered in substantially similar manner to the form of the invention shown in Fig.. l, being :V

either formed of material vthat will adhere through the application of a given degree of heat, or being coated' with a suitable material that will cause adherence upon the application of a given degree-of heat.

The: method of manufacturing the tape of the invention as illustrated in Figs. l to 3 is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The apparatus for carrying out the method of manufacturing the tape according to the invention, and particularly the tape as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, comprises a` rolling mill assembly consistingl of a pair of forming rolls il and I8 each having grooves I9 in its surface for formingthe projections H as the wire to be formed is passed through the rolls. The wire it to be formed. by therolls may be of circular, oval, square, rectanguiar, or other suitable cross-sectional shape, and may be:A either uncoated orcoatedwith an adherring coating, depending upon the particular adhering method employed.

In longitudinal'line with the space between the rolls thereisprovided al guide member 2t, having aslot opening 2i in which the plurality of wires making up the tape are arranged in side-by-side relation and are retained in such relation as the tapemoves through thegui-:e members. As the rolls are horizontally arranged the projections l l ofA the wires It are vertically disposed as they emergei-romtherolls, and, in order to place the projectionsvin laterally projecting position in the slot opening 2! of the guide member 2t, the wires are turned` through 90 in their travel between the rolls and the guidemember. Informing the tape as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the roll-formed wires i@ are alternately arranged withrespect to the fiat wiresf i3 which are ied'into the slot open-- ingY El of. the guide member 2i? from a suitable source of supply. These wires i3 may be either uncoated or coated with an adhering coating, depending upon the particular method of adhering employed.

The controlled wiresrheld in place by the Iguide member 2t next pass through the heat applying unit 22 to cause the. contacting surfaces ofY the ntl i the adjacent con.

several wires to adhere to each other. This heating unit may be of any suitable type depending upon the particular material of which the wires are formed, and on whether or not they are coated with an adhering coating. For instance, heat can be applied by means of gas burners, induction welding, contact welding, resistance welding, or by other suitable known methods. In the case of certain alloys the contacting surfaces oi the wires may be caused to adhere Without employing an adhering coating. In the case of. other materials either or both the wires It is may be coated with suitable coating materi'aLasfor instance, copper, zinc, silver, or the like, which through the application of a given degree of heat will cause the contacting surfaces of" the Wire to fuse and adhere.

The adhered tape next passes through a guide member 23 provided with slot opening 2d, which in cooperation with the guide member 20 supports the span of tape between them as it passes through the heating unit. From the guide member 2li the7 tape passes over a take-up roll. 25, the rotation of which is suitably timed with therotation of the rolls il and I8 of the rolling mill so that it draws the tape. through the guides: and heating unit in timed relation with the. formationof the wires lil. rEhe completed tapeA may be then coiled or otherwise suitably arranged for storage and shipping purposes.

In making up a cylindrical filter screen from the tape, the tape is preferably wound spirally about a suitable frame into-cylindrical form with one edge of one coil in contact with an edge of Conical and tapered iilter screens may be formed in a. substantially similar manner. In the case of forming flat filters the tape may be cut into desired lengths and arranged in side-by-side relation, being` suitably heldV at its edges in a clampingframe or the like. The adjacent coils or strips of tape may also be adhered together after assembly in` the filter screen by subjecting the contacting edges to suitable adheringY methods, asfor instance, welding, soldering, and the like.

In forming the tape as shownl in Fig. 4 the same method is carried' out asY shown in Figs. 5 and 6, except that all of the wires employed are roll-formed. The forming mill as shown in Fig'. 7y consists of a lower plain roll 2S and an upper roll 2l provided with projection-forming grooves 28.

What is claimed is:

1. The continuous method for. making a perforated tape, comprising feeding and simultaneously workingA a plurality` of wires arranged in side-byside relationship in a commonplane to form projections on each wire, said` projectionsY extending transversely of said plane, rotatthe wires to orient the projections to serve as spacer abutnflents against adjacent wires; drawing the wires underA tension througha guide means having walls dening a rectangular connning opening having the Width and thickness dimensions of the tape to prevent relative rotative displacement of the wires, and heatingy said to secure the contacting surfaces thereof.

2. The method as deiined in claim l, further characterized in that said projections are formed on one side of said wires and extend transversely in the same direction.

3. The method as defined in claim i, further characterized in that said projections are formed on the opposed sides ofsaid wires,` and by the urther step of carrying other Wires of uniform References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Bralnard Aug. 18, 1885 Barnes Dec. 9, 1919 Mortensen June 10', 1924 Loppacker Feb. 5, 1929 Palm Oct. 1, 1929 Helman Feb. 18, 1930 Herbest Feb. 14, 1933 Number Number Name Date Fitzgerald June 20, 1933 Knuth Apr. 24, 1934 Hopkins June 11, 1935 Tarof Sept. 17, 1935 Liddell June 2, 1936 Specht July 27, 1937 Woitscheck Sept. 25, 1945 Crise Sept. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 3, 1911 

